Measuring the Association Between Sports and Mental Health Among Mexican LGBTQ People: Psychological Distress Among Athletes, Spectators/Volunteers, and Non-Attendees During the 2023 Gay Games

Casper H. Voyles, Alma Lilia Cruz Bañares, Carlos Ignacio Ahedo Rocha and Heleen Vermandere ()
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Casper H. Voyles: Department of Social Justice and Social Change, Hamline University, Saint Paul, MN 55104, USA
Alma Lilia Cruz Bañares: Center for Evaluation Research and Surveys, National Institute of Public Health, Cuernavaca 62100, Mexico
Carlos Ignacio Ahedo Rocha: Center for Evaluation Research and Surveys, National Institute of Public Health, Cuernavaca 62100, Mexico
Heleen Vermandere: Center for Evaluation Research and Surveys, National Institute of Public Health, Cuernavaca 62100, Mexico

IJERPH, 2025, vol. 22, issue 9, 1-23

Abstract: Mental health benefits from sport are widely established in the general population yet remain underexamined among LGBTQ individuals. Investigation of whether sports can promote LGBTQ mental well-being is warranted. The 2023 Gay Games in Guadalajara, Mexico, provided the opportunity to examine psychological distress among Mexican LGBTQ individuals with different involvement within the event (n = 111). Gay Games athletes (n = 32), spectators/volunteers (n = 41), and non-attendees (n = 38) completed an online questionnaire about mental health, self-reported health, experiences of discrimination, and fear during pride events. Among this sample, 18.8% of athletes reported any psychological distress (as measured by PHQ-4) compared to 36.6% of spectators/volunteers and 50.0% of non-attendees. Multivariable logistic regression was used to assess the correlation between psychological distress and Gay Games participation. The final adjusted models demonstrated that athletes (OR: 0.200; CI: 0.063, 0.630) and spectators/volunteers (OR: 0.310; CI: 0.097, 0.961) had lower odds of reporting psychological distress than non-attendees. Other significant potential confounders were being transgender (OR: 4.582; CI: 1.392, 15.071), having excellent/very good/good self-rated health (OR: 0.101; CI: 0.014, 0.708), and reporting fear during pride events (OR: 4.583; CI: 1.692, 12.401). These findings provide support for an inverse relationship between poor mental health and LGBTQ-inclusive sports participation and can inform future interventions to promote well-being for groups experiencing substantial mental health disparities.

Keywords: psychological distress; LGBTQ+; Gay Games; sports participation; Mexico (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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